Cocciscia
Cocciscia Norman, Öfvers. K. Svensk. Vetensk. -Akad. Förhandl. 27: 806 (1870).
Index Fungorum number: IF 1134; Facesoffungi number: FoF 12169, 1 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), no molecular data available.
Lichenized on rocks. Sexual morph: Ascomata black, clustered, solitary to gregarious, immersed to semi-immersed, becoming superficial on black, or white lichenized thallus, subgloblose to obpyriform, uniloculate, glabrous ostiole large, central, with thick pore-like opening, periphyses. Excipulum thick-walled of unequal thickness, composed of several layers, of three type-layers of pale brown to dark brown pseudoparenchymatous cells, inner layer comprising small, pale brown to brown cells, arranged in a textura angularis; middle layer comprising flattened, thick-walled, brown to dark brown cells, arranged in a textura prismatica to textura angularis; outer layer comprising large, pale brown to brown cells, arranged in a textura angularis to textura globulosa. Involucrellum thick, composed of brown to dark brown palisade-like cells, or textura prismatica. Hamathecium lacking pseudoparaphyses, forming filiform, cellular periphysoids around the cavity, embedded in a hyaline gelatinous matrix. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, clavate, sessile to subsessile, apically rounded, with well-developed ocular chamber. Ascospores overlapping uni-seriate at the base, bi- to tri-seriate at the apex, hyaline, ellipsoidal, muriform, with several segments, slightly constricted at the central septum, smooth-walled. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Hyde et al. 2017).
Type species: Cocciscia hammeri Norman
Notes: Cocciscia is characterised by black, clustered, solitary to gregarious ascomata, clavate, sessile to subsessile, apically rounded asci and hyaline, ellipsoidal, muriform ascospores. Kirk et al. (2001, 2008) and Lumbsch and Huhndorf (2010) treated Cocciscia in Dacampiaceae. Hyde et al. (2013) did not agree with this treatment since Cocciscia differs from members of Dacampiaceae in lacking pseudoparaphyses, forming dense, cellular periphysoids inside the cavity while species of Dacampiaceae form pseudoparaphyses. Hyde et al. (2013) re-examined the isotype of C. hammeri (O-L-069350) and excluded Cocciscia from Dacampiaceae. Cocciscia resembles Polyblastia in the structure of the perithecium, size of the asci and ascospores (Swinscow 1970, Hyde et al. 2017). Hyde et al. (2013) did not refer Cocciscia to Polyblastia since the specimen was in poor condition and they did not observe other characters, such as its thallus, and reaction of hymenium when stained with lugol. Cocciscia is in Dothideomycetes genera incertae sedis. Fresh collections with sequence data and in-depth re-examination of herbarium specimen for other characters are needed to confirm the generic placement of Cocciscia.
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